Laura Shepherd-Robinson is a brilliant writer of historical crime fiction – she creates totally immersive worlds, well-rounded characters and some absolutely amazing twists. This book is one of my favourite so far of 2025.
In this novel (a standalone – not connected to her previous books, although still set in Georgian England), widow Hannah Cole is struggling to keep her confectionary shop in Piccadilly running. She’s facing the sexism of men who don’t like women in trade and William Fielding (yes, the famous author, who was also a magistrate) is trying to confiscate the money from her husband’s bank account as he investigates some dodgy dealing. The arrival of William Devereux seems to be a blessing, bringing with him ideas for iced cream that will revolutionise Hannah’s business – but is William all he seems?
I absolutely loved this book. I was rooting for Hannah from the start and there were a few twists along the way that absolutely knocked me for six! Georgian London and society was portrayed with depth and detail, and Shepherd-Robinson’s research on confectionary and the introduction of iced cream was woven beautifully into the narrative. I felt like I learnt quite a lot while reading a great story too! The characterisation of Hannah and William was cleverly revealed over the course of the novel, and I love books that throw in actual, real historical figures too – I wonder if William Fielding really was like that!
I feel like I shouldn’t write any more about this book in case I give anything away – there’s so much to enjoy in the rich narrative and through the different narrative perspectives used in the novel. It’s another absolute gem from Shepherd-Robinson and I absolutely can’t wait for the next one.
Thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this book – opinions are my own.
Photo by Brooke Lark on Unsplash